Cracks in homes
need to be tackled properly 01/03/2000 NST
I REFER to your report (NST, Feb 2) entitled "Sleepless Nights prevail in
USJ18" on defects in houses in the area. When something goes wrong, those
responsible seem to take the simple way out by commissioning a soil test.
In the case of USJ18, three different groups have carried out soil tests to
ascertain who was responsible for the cause of the cracks in the homes.

Arbitration
board needed to tackle housebuyers' woes 03/03/2000 NST
A BACKBENCHER has urged the Government to set up an arbitration board to settle
problems between housebuyers and developers. Lee Kah Choon (BN-Jelutong) said
the board would provide an easy and fast solution to problems between the
two parties.

Move to set
up Housing tribunal 03/03/2000 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs. - A housing tribunal to arbitrate disputes between buyers
and developers may be established under amendments to the Housing Developers'
Act, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting said today. He
said the Ministry was still considering the possibility of having the tribunal
but no decision had yet been made.

Put it down
in black-and-white, says Ministry 07/03/2000 MM
THE Ministry of Housing and Local Government has ordered a company to put
down in black-and-white its plan to sell land for residential housing. The
Ministry issued the instruction to Lurah Pantas Sdn Bhd during a meeting last
week as part of an investigation into reports that the company was selling
low- and medium-cost houses without a developer's licence.

Housebuyer
in a spot 07/03/2000 MM
HE was elated when his apartment was completed last January, but his joy was
shortlived when he was told he had to pay a year's maintenance fees in advance.
"Is there a law saying that a housebuyer has to pay the developer such a fee
before he even moves into his new house?" asks Andrew.

150 complaints
about errant developers 10/03/2000 NST
THE Government has so far this year received 150 complaints against developers
who are late in applying for certificates of fitness, said Deputy Housing
and Local Government Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.

Proton City
project no abandoned: Mahaleel 11/03/2000 BT
PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) said it has not abandoned the shelved
Proton City project that will house the company's second assembly plant. Chief
executive officer Tengku Datuk Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said the company has
invested too much in the project to abandon it.

`Need
to tighten Housing Developers' Act' 14/03/2000 NST
THE best way to address the problem of irresponsible housing developers and
protect the buyers is to tighten the Housing Developers' Act as the proposed
colour coded system would not be effective enough. Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting said a good and just system was needed as the colour
coded system was not transparent enough.

Ministry plans
to revive fund for abandoned home projects 15/03/2000 NST
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry wants to revive the fund to rehabilitate
abandoned housing projects if a study reveals that such a move is required.
Its Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting said the re-establishment of the fund, which
ceased operations in 1992, would be proposed under the Eighth Malaysia Plan.

Strata Titles
Board to help aggrieved apartment owners 17/03/2000 MM
A BOARD to arbitrate disputes between management corporations and the owners
of highrise buildings is in the offing. Deputy Land and Cooperative Development
Minister Dr Tan Kee Kwong (picture) said the proposed Strata Titles Board
will provide aggrieved apartment owners another avenue to seek redress.

Amendments
to make local councils toe line 18/03/2000 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The Town and Country Planning Act 1976 will be amended
by the Housing and Local Government Ministry to ensure that all development
work carried out by the local authorities is according to plans already laid
out. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting said the amended
Act would give the Federal Government and State governments greater powers
for enforcement, monitoring and supervision of the activities of local authorities.

Ong: Amendment
to give Act more bite 18/03/2000 BT
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry hopes to amend the Town and Country
Planning Act to allow the Federal Government and State Governments to play
a concurrent role in planning future development plans. Its minister, Datuk
Ong Ka Ting, said the amendments will give more bite in the areas of enforcement
to the Federal and State Governments. Currently, enforcement of the act is
handled by the local Town and Country Planning Department.

Developers
'must take the rap'20/3/2000 The Star
It is unfair for developers to pass the buck to architects for poor quality
and workmanship in housing projects, said the Malaysian Institute of Architects
Northern Chapter.

Housebuyers
to be categorised in database 22/03/2000 NST
HOUSEBUYERS are soon to be categorised in a technology savvy database, the
Housing and Local Government Ministry said. The Malaysian Housing Urban Research
Institute will be in charge of this project. .

Number of housing
complaints increase by 75pc 22/03/2000 BT
COMPLAINTS from housebuyers increased by 75 per cent to 1,991 cases last year
compared with 1,135 the previous year, according to the Housing and Local
Government Ministry. The bulk of the complaints was on delays in handing over
the houses, numbering 323 cases, followed by defects in workmanship (222),
compensation (180) and absence of certificates of fitness (150), it said in
a statement in Kuala Lumpur.

Truants courting
danger at abandoned site 25/03/2000 MM By Sam Cheong
SOME pupils are skipping school to get wet and wild at the basement of an
abandoned construction site in Sentul. Following a tip off, The Malay Mail
checked Lot 39-47 at Jalan Kovil Hulu, Sentul, yesterday.

Local councils
get deadline on gazetted and updated by-laws 26/03/2000
NSUNT
PETALING JAYA, Sat. - Local authorities have been given until next week to
report to the Housing and Local Government Ministry on the number of updated
by-laws they have gazetted. "Many local authorities are still using outdated
uniform by-laws. They have one week to report the status to us," Minister
Datuk Ong Ka Ting said.

Call to build
flyover for Serdang Perdana 27/03/2000 NST-CITY
THE Subang Jaya Municipal Council and developers in Serdang Perdana have been
called to speed up the construction of a flyover to provide easy exit for
residents of the housing areas to the main road of Sri Kembangan. Serdang
Member Parliament Datuk Yap Pian Hon said this was necessary so that the residents
of 5,000 houses would not face the same problem as Subang Jaya residents.

Payment made
but no sign of work done 27/03/2000 MM
AFTER purchasing a terrace factory in the North Port Technology Zone, Khoo
was informed by her financier, Citibank Bhd that progress payment was made
in October last year for foundation and footing works done. But when she visited
the site recently, she was surprised to see that little had been done.